This invention relates to a skip mechanism for a sewing machine, more particularly to a skip stitch mechanism for a sewing machine which may be actuated automatically at any lateral position of the sewing needle.
There are in the prior art sewing machines wherein a stitch may be skipped upon lateral jogging of a needle bar beyond the range within which stitches may be formed. Such a device is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,601, Feb. 2, 1971 of Tullman. It is also known in the prior art to construct a device wherein the needle bar gate may at will be elevated by manual means. In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,529, June 11, 1974 of Adams et. al., is shown a needle bar and gate module with such a device wherein by manually elevating a latch release member, a lever carried by a latch mechanism supported on a needle bar gate may be rotated at any lateral position to trip the latch mechanism.
With the advent of the electronically controlled sewing machine, however, there was a need for a device which would automatically skip a stitch at any lateral position without resorting to manual means. For example, when selecting a pattern for pattern stitching, the skip stitch mechanism may be actuated to prevent the placement of a wrong stitch prior to placement of the first stitch of the selected pattern. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,809, Mar. 25, 1975 of Adams et. al., discloses a needle bar and gate module similar to that disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,529 previously mentioned, but includes a solenoid actuating means to separate the needle bar from its drive means which may be energized at will to effect skipped stitches.
The above device, though effective, is characterized by a multiplicity of parts between the solenoid and the latch connecting the needle bar to its endwise reciprocatary drive mechanism, with resulting increase in manufacturing and assembly cost. The modular construction of the needle bar and gate, while useful and effective for certain purposes, also requires additional expensive frame components whose function may be included as part of the sewing machine frame.
What is required is a solenoid actuated skip stitch mechanism, with a bare minimum of parts between the solenoid and the needle bar carried latch, which will be effective at any lateral position of the needle bar; and which is achieved in an inexpensive needle bar-gate arrangement deriving its support from the sewing machine frame.